A story long forgotten
by Arianrhod12
Summary: After the death of her brother, Ithilwen had never thought that she coulf find meaning in her life again. But even through shaddow and war, hope, friendship and love can always find their way. A tenth walker story. Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

_I own nothing but the OCs characters. Thank you for reading!_

"Legolas, Ithilwen, get them up" said calmly Aragorn after cleaning his sword. She stared at him in wonder. Had he not realised what had just happened? What they had lost? Legolas went close to Pippin and she went by Merry and hugged him. Everyone was in shock. Gandalf had been giving them hope throughout their journey and with his wise guidance everyone believed that they would eventually succeed in their mission. But what about now?

"Give them a moment, for pity's sake" interrupted Boromir and his voice broke down.

"By nightfall, these hills, will be swarming with orcs" replied Aragorn. "We must reach the woods of Lothlorien." She gave him a fierce stare. He noticed that and with a move of his head he made her realise that this was their only way. Merry was still crying on her chest and she slowly helped him stand up. They would manage to go through this. Gandalf's death should not be in vain.

After they had gathered together they started heading towards the woods of Lothlorien. Their pace was fast and the hobbits sometimes were left behind. But they could not afford to spare any time to grieve the death of their beloved friend. Ithilwen was trying to remember the first time she met him. She was at Imladris with Arwen reading a book with poems. "Here is sight rarely to be seen. The light of the Evenstar and the daughter of the Moon" said a voice. They lifted their heads and saw a kind old man, dressed in grey. "Gandalf the Grey" said Arwen in wonderment. "Olórin the Maia" added Ithilwen with the same tone in her voice. He sat between them and started reciting to them unknown songs about the love stories of their ancestors. She smiled. This distant memory filled her heart with nostalgia for her blissful past and pain for her bitter present. She had to shield her heart and mind. Her birthplace would awake even more painful memories to her.

Aragorn was running ahead of them. They had reached river Nimrodel. The hobbits looked with despair at Aragorn, hoping that he would pity them and would allow them to rest for a while. But Aragorn insisted that they should carry on. Lothlorien was not far away. And indeed. After an hour they had reached the borders of the elvish kingdom.

When they entered into the safety of the forest they lowered their pace. The forest had a soothing aura. They were all mesmerized under the tall mallorn trees. Ithilwen's heart was racing. Among the trunks of these trees she had been born and raised. She had ran, laughed, danced, learnt how to fight. This forest was part of her, a part that she was trying for the last thirty years to ignore, for it could only bring her bitter feelings.

"Stay close young hobbits" exclaimed Gimli. "They say a great sorceress lives in this woods. At least here is a dwarf that she will not ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of hawk and the ears of a fox." Gimli turned his head and saw two elvish arrows pointing at him. Legolas and Ithilwen has already prepared their bows and were ready to attack. Aragorn unreluctantly raised his hands, to show that they were not foes.

"A dwarf breathes so loud, that we could have shot him in the dark" stated an elf, the captain of the group, which had encircled them.

"Haldir?" asked Ithilwen in disbelief. She looked beyond the captain and exclaimed "Rúmil! Orophin!" as she recognised two more elves. The captain looked at her. His eyes sparked. He did not expect to see her after so long and under these circumstances. She smiled at him and lowered her bow. Haldir made a move and the rest of the elves imitated her.

"Ithilwen!" he said and his voice revealed his surprise. "You have changed!" She had indeed changed. She had lost her elvish shine, her eyes were not glowing the way they used to, her hair were braided and she had bangs, a quite odd hairstyle choice for an elf, and with these ranger clothes, she was beyond recognition. She was not anymore the blissful elf who had been dancing under the stars, praising the beauty of the moon. She was now more like a mortal. He pitied her. "Follow us" he ordered.

"Let us hope that your acquaintances will prove worthy, lassie" Gimli said and walked next to Ithilwen. She hoped that too.

Without further discussion Haldir led them to a flet where they could get some rest. They introduced themselves and they stood behind as Aragorn was trying to explain to Haldir their difficult situation. Their discussion was tensed and, although they were talking in elvish, everyone in the fellowship started falling into despair concerning the future of their quest. Both Legolas and Ithilwen were able to understand their discussion and they were exchanging looks of uncertainty. Haldir did not seem convinced by Aragorn's arguments and pleas. Ithilwen was sitting among the hobbits. Aragorn gave her a desperate look. She knew what exactly he needed from her.

"What's wrong?" asked Sam.

"There is nothing to worry my dear Sam", she replied as she stood up. "Rest, because we might have to walk again soon." She approached Aragorn. Her presence interrupted their discussion. Haldir looked at her expressionlessly and continued talking in elvish.

"The evil you bring with you, cannot pass through our forest. It will bring grave danger to our kingdom."

"Let us come with you" said Aragorn again. "The road is very dangerous. Please, we need your protection."

"Haldir, for the sake of your friendship with my brother, please let us come with you" said Ithilwen. Aragorn smiled. He knew that Ithilwen had this strong argument that would surely convince Haldir. "It is true that Lorien will be in danger, but if our mission fails, the West will fall into darkness. And the deaths of Gandalf and Tírnel will be in vain. Please Haldir. Rúmil, Orophin" she said to Haldir's brothers who stood behind him "we need your protection, please."

Haldir looked at her in disbelief. How could he trust her, since she had changed so much from the last time he saw her. 'But the last time I saw her, she was lying on the ground, heavily wounded, and her brother was dead a few meters away. Could this really have changed her so much?' he thought. He looked at his brothers. Rumil went close to him and whispered something to his ear and then smiled compassionately. Haldir sighed, stared at Aragorn and Ithilwen and then went towards the rest of the fellowship.

"You will follow me" he stated.


	2. Chapter 2

_The horn was heard. One, two, three times. She exchanged with her brother a frightened look. More orcs would come. She held tightly her sword and waited. Heavy and fast footsteps were approaching. Each second was feeling like a century, and she had lived many centuries on this world. And they appeared yelling in the dark tongue, holding up high their weapons, coming towards them. A blow of arrows annihilated their attack, but this did not last long._

 _She could not remember what happened next. How she pierced with her sword the neck of an Orc, how she moved swiftly, with dancing like moves, from the one spot of the battle scene to the other, killing the one Orc after the other. The killing frenzy had conquered her body and mind._

 _Again the horn was heard. One, two blows. Two blows. Reinforcements would come. She turned to find the look of her brother. He was several metres away fighting an Orc. She smiled. This madness would soon be over and they would go back home. The Orc fell on the ground. She started going to close to him. But two Orcs appeared from behind and one of them pierced her brother's body. He slowly turned and looked at her, with a desperate look, which soon became vacant as his soul was leaving his body, heading to the halls of Mandos._

 _"_ _Tírnel"_ _she whispered, not having enough strength to express her grief. She knelt, her legs were not able anymore to hold her. Sobs were filling her chest and tears ran down her cheeks. She wished she was dead. "Tírnel" she tenderly whispered one more time her brother's name. How would she live without him? How the stars and the moon would shine without him being under them singing songs to praise them? "Tírnel" she whispered a third time. She felt the blow of a weapon at the back of her head and then everything became dark._

Her eyes opened instantly and her hand immediately grabbed her dagger. She was gasping and cold sweat was running from her front. She looked around her. The hobbits were sleeping next to her. Boromir, Gimli and Legolas were sleeping next to the root of a mallorn tree. Mallorn trees. 'Yes, we are in Lorien' she thought and sighed. She turned her head looking for Aragorn. He was sitting several metres away smoking his pipe. He was surrendered to his thoughts. She stood up carefully, trying not to wake up the hobbits and went close to him. She noticed that they were watched over by Haldir's guards, but their presence was discreet. She sat next to Aragorn.

"I did not expect them to sleep" she said silently in elvish and turned her head to make sure that they were still sleeping. "They were weeping and turning, but thankfully they slept."

"They are strong. Stronger than we think" he said and smoked his pipe. "You had the usual nightmare, am I right?" he asked her.

"Yes," she replied. "How did you know?"

"You were calling his name" he said and chewed indifferently the tip of his pipe. "And I am certain that our guards have heard you as well." Ithilwen turned and looked at the elves, who surrounded them.

"They do not trust us. They do not trust me anymore" she noted and bowed her head. "Did you see the way they were looking at me?" she said silently but her tone revealed her astonishment. "It was like we never fought together, like we never knew each other."

"To be honest, I would not blame them" said Aragorn and Ithilwen grimaced in query. "They have not heard of you for more than thirty years. You were heavily wounded, so they could have assumed that you were dead. And after all these years, you have reappeared out of the blue, accompanied by nine men, bringing a grave danger to their lands. How could they trust you?" he said and looked at her. Her eyes were stuck on the ground and a pensive look was all over her face. "I think you should talk to them. Tell them what happened in your life during these years. Explain to them why you have changed so much. It is the only way to earn their trust back." He placed his hand on her shoulder and she looked at him. She cracked a smile. Although he would never replace Tírnel in her heart, Aragorn was like a brother to her. He returned and the smile and smoked again his pipe.

"Why did you not sleep?" she asked him. Aragorn sighed.

"I could not sleep. Too many thoughts were inside my head. Gandalf's death, the future of our quest, and…" he paused for a while and took a deep breath. Ithilwen immediately understood. The woods of Lorien were filled with memories not only for her, but for Aragorn also.

"She will not sail to the West" said Ithilwen with certainty. Aragorn gave her a doubtful look. "I have known her for a long time, my friend, and believe me her love for you knows no boundaries. She will stay here."

"I asked her to leave."

Ithilwen remained silent. She expected that he would have asked Arwen something like this. And she knew that Arwen would disobey him. "She will stay" said Ithilwen again and stood up. The first sunbeams cracked to the sky and the morning birds started singing. "We should wake them up" she said and looked at the hobbits. Aragorn stood up as well.

They had been walking for hours and they were allowed to rest only for a few minutes. It was a long way to Caras Galadhon. Haldir was leading the group, Orophin and Rúmil were right behind him. They were followed by Ithilwen, Merry and Pipin, Aragorn, Frodo and Sam, Gimli, Legolas and Boromir. They were being followed be five elves from the guard. At the beginning Gimli grumbled about the presence of all these elves, but he later got used to them. They were walking silently to their destinations. Only the chatting between the hobbits and the Gimli, were breaking the silence.

"Well, I expected that you would look older" said Rúmil to Ithilwen. Ithilwen, whose eyes were stuck on the ground throughout their course, suddenly lifted her head and gave a surprised look to Rumil. Orophin looked at his brother sternly, trying to make him realise that what he had just said was very inappropriate.

"What? Why?" she asked Rumil and her astonishment was revealed by the tone of her voice.

"Judging by your long disappearance, your garments and your looks generally I made the assumption that you made your decision and you became mortal" he said without paying attention to his brother's gaze. Haldir huffed. Ithilwen looked firstly at her clothes. Well, they used to belong to Tom, a teenage ranger who eventually grew up, but they were very comfortable. Her hairstyle was indeed copied by mortal women, but she fancied it a lot and it did not need too much care. But, besides her worn out, large clothes and her almost blowzy hair, maybe her dirty face from previous day's fight, and the fact that her eyes had lost their old elven shine, nothing else could indicate that she chose to carry on living as a mortal.

"Firstly, Lord Elrond told me that the time to make my choice has not arrived yet" she started explaining. "Secondly, I did not come back to Lothlorien after _that_ incident, because I was very preoccupied as a ranger of the North." At that moment the three brothers turned and looked at her with disbelief. She felt awkward. Who was she going to fool? She sighed and continued. "And because some wounds can be healed only by time. And I could not come back to the place where I lost _him_. And thirdly" she added after taking a deep breath, "I am very satisfied with my looks and I always wanted to make a change!"

"We were your friends Ithilwen" said Orophin with a serious tone. "We expected that if you needed any kind of help, you would come to us first."

"We would never betray our friendship with you" said Haldir. "We grieved for Tirnel as well, and still, my heart mourns for my dear friend. But you could rely on us. We would be there for you."

"You are right," she said and lowered her head. "I am sorry. At that point of my life everything was hazy. I was feeling lost and I did not know where to turn to. I believed that coming back to Lothlorien would only immerse me further into my darkness. It was bad of me not come in contact with you. I hope you forgive me one day."

"There is nothing to forgive, sister" said Rumil and he smiled. "We are glad you are alive and that you are home after all these years.

"We will rest here for a while" shouted Haldir to the rest of the fellowship. Ithilwen stared at Aragorn asking for his help somehow. Aragorn smiled to her and started preparing his pipe, making her understand that she should do this on her own, without his help. Gimli noticed this discussion through glances and whispered something to Aragorn, while pointing his axe towards the three elf brothers. Aragorn smiled, told him something and patted his back. Gimli disappointed, lowered his axe and took out his pipe to smoke as well.

"Now you can talk to us" said Haldir. The four of them sat down under a mallorn tree.

"After I had woken up at Imladris, I was in perfect health, but I could not stop yearning for one thing. Death. I did not want to eat or sleep. I was locked inside my room all day and all night, crying for not having the chance to join my brother at the Halls of Mandos. I had been expecting that I would die from my grief, like other elves had died before me. But death was not coming, and I soon realised that my mortal side had beaten my elven at this characteristic. So I decided just to stay in that room for an eternity. But Arwen had made other plans for me." Ithilwen smiled. Since their childhood, Arwen had been coming up with the weirdest solutions for their problems, but always these solutions somehow had worked. "She entered my room with my old bow, my quiver and my sword. She laid them to my knees and sat on a chair. She remained silent staring at me. I did not utter a word. I was just caressing the carvings on my bow. After several minutes of silence Aragorn entered the room. She had already introduced us several years ago, during the summer when she met him, here in Lothlorien. She proposed me to join the Rangers of the North along with Aragorn. And she was right. I have been a ranger for more than thirty years, and through this experience I have been able to slowly heal the wounds of my soul and discover another kind of life. I certainly still think of my brother, and to be honest, when Aragorn announced that we should pass through Lothlorien, I was afraid. But mourning over a person you love is not something bad or abnormal, as long as it does not conquer every part of your existence and does not let you carry on your life." She smiled at them. Her eyes were filled with tears. But they were not tears of sorrow. They were tears of happiness and relief, for it was the first time she told her story on her own, without anybody's help, and to people who used to be part of her life and knew both her and Tirnel.

"I am sorry for misjudging you" said Rumil silently.

"Ithilwen, from now on, you should always remember that you can count on us, whatever you might need" said Haldir. "And I promise that I will help both you and your friends as much as I can." They all stood up and hugged.

"And Ithilwen, I need to tell you something more" added Rumil. Ithilwen turned and looked at him. "You should do something with your clothes" he said and they all laughed, like the old good days. Haldir informed the rest of the fellowship that they should continue their course, and everyone noticed the change in his spirits.

Ithilwen was walking now next to Gimli and Legolas. Her mood was lifted and she was enjoying the beauties of her birthplace.


	3. Chapter 3

They arrived at Caras Galladhon after the sunset. But under the tall mallorn trees there was still light. The fellowship was mesmerised by the beauty of the elven tree city. Haldir guided them to the centre of the city. Ahead of them stood the tallest mallorn tree of the forest. The starting going up the stairs, which encircled the tree. They reached the highest of the flets surrounding the tree, an oval chamber with silver and green walls and a golden roof.

They stood for a while until they noticed they noticed the Lady of Lothlorien arriving to greet them. Ithilwen was used to her beauty and majesty, but when she saw her, the unearthly light she was beaming made her turn her gaze elsewhere for several seconds.

They were asked about Gandalf's absence and the future of the Fellowship. Galadriel looked deep inside each of the member of the Fellowship. All the answers she needed were written in each one's eyes. Boromir could not stand this piercing gaze and looked away. When Galadriel looked at Ithilwen she smiled, and said "The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while the Company is true" and she turned her gaze to Sam, who looked at her in awe. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight you will sleep in peace".

During the night a lament about Gandalf was heard around the forest. The Fellowship was resting at the roots of a mallorn tree and prepared to sleep. They all needed a good rest, after they had been through. Ithilwen fell fast asleep, hoping for a dreamless sleep. ' _Come to my garden_ ' heard inside her head and her eyes opened. It was the Lady's voice.

She entered Galadriel's garden. The Lady was standing over a silver basin, holding an ewer with water. Ithilwen had heard many stories about the Mirror of Galadriel. About what it could show or hide from those who looked at it. Ithilwen looked at the Lady confused and concerned. She could not think of reason why she would invite her to look at the Mirror.

Galadriel smiled at her, like she was reading her thoughts, and without saying a word she started was pouring water in the basin.

 _A group of elves heading to the Grey Havens. She and her brother running in the forest wearing the uniforms of Lothlorien's guard. Tirnel's lifeless gaze. Arwen giving her bow back. Merry and Pippin being carried by Uruk Hai. An enormous explosion, dust, blood and rain. A rider with a white horsetail as crest flowing from his helmet bringing down two mumakils with his spear. A massive amount of orcs heading towards her outside Mordor. A white tower, with a blooming tree, under a crescent moon. A lady in black, with her face veiled, standing at a green field full of white flowers._

She gasped, lifted her head and stepped behind. Galadriel was peaceful.

"Are these moments of a dark future, or some dark moments of my future?" asked Ithilwen, while trying not to show her concern.

"You have seen images of the past and of a future that may come or it may not" Galadriel replied and walked towards her. Ithilwen bowed her head.

Ithilwen lifted her eyes and met her smile. She sighed and felt her chest heavier than ever. "You should not despair. For if you stop believing, the others will give up hope too. Shield your heart with courage and never stop hoping that in the future will dawn days full of life, not death."

"Thank you, my Lady" she said and bowed. "Have a good night."

"Goodnight Ithilwen" said the White Lady. "And do not fear about the future. Even among the shadows you can find a ray of light."

Ithilwen smiled and left.

The time to leave had arrived. They woke up very early and started preparing to continue their quest. The elves gave them presents so they could continue their mission. They were all given elven cloaks so they could hide from the unfriendly eyes, and packs of lembas bread. Each member of the Fellowship was given a unique gift. Legolas was given the bow of Galadhrim, Merry and Pippin the daggers of Noldorin and Frodo the light of Galadriel's favourite star, Earendil.

Galadriel gave to Ithilwen a velvet envelope. She opened it and found a headdress with six small jewels. The three of them were amber and they had the shape of the Elanor flowers and the other three were made from a diamond like stone and had the shape of the Niphredil flower. "These flowers will always remind you the place where you were born. And at the day when your sorrows are lifted, you will wear them and your elvish shine will be re-established on your face".

Ithilwen smiled to Galadriel. Judging from the gifts her companions had received, she would prefer a sword or a new bow, something closer to her current status. But Galadriel's judgement was not to be doubted, and id she believed that one day she would feel like an elf again, who else could doubt her. She put the envelope close to her heart, so she could have this gentle reminder, as close as possible to her and bowed her head. Galadriel smiled to her and moved on farewelling the Fellowship of the Ring.

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Author's note: Thank you very much for your follows and faves!

Again, I own nothing, but the OC character and I do not intend to make any profit.

Have fun and please review! :)


	4. Chapter 4

The Fellowship was heading south floating along Anduin river. Boromir was with Merry and Pippin, Aragorn with Frodo and Sam, and Legolas with Gimli and Ithilwen. Legolas was rowing and at some point Ithilwen turned her head upset and looked at him without saying a word. He immediately looked at the west bank and sensed the same danger as she did.

"Can you feel that too?" she asked. Ravens started crowing and Aragorn and Boromir sensed too the danger that was approaching.

"Yes" replied Legolas and looked worried towards the forest.

"What have you both felt and now you are talking with riddles?" interrupted Gimli.

"There is a grave danger following us in the forest" said Ithilwen with her gaze roaming among the trees of the west bank. "We should be wary of this".

Legolas nodded and continued rowing. They should hurry and their night stop should be brief and discreet. The following day they continued rowing down the Anduin. The two elves felt more uneasy than the previous day sensing the danger coming closer to them. Only at the sight of the Argonath, the majestic statues of the old kings, their minds were drawn for a while from the approaching darkness. The three boats approached the Rauros Falls, and they reached the West Bank of the lake.

"We cross the lake at nightfall. Hide the boats and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the north", said Aragorn.

"We should cross the lake now" said Legolas after looking around the forest.

"No. Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness."

"We have been both sensing a danger Aragorn" said Ithilwen. "This darkness is coming closer, I can feel it. We should leave now."

They were interrupted by Merry who noticed the absence of Frodo. Aragorn looked around and noticed that Boromir was missing too and went inside the forest.

"Pack again your things" said Ithilwen to the hobbits. "We will leave very soon again. And stay close to us. Be sure not to be out of our sight." Legolas looked at her worried.

"I hope that we have not lost valuable time by now" he said to her, and she sighed.

"Where they have all been all this time!" exclaimed Gimli. "Let's go and find them".

Legolas, Gimli and Ithilwen headed towards the Seat of Seeing and found Aragorn fighting alone a troop of Uruk Hai. Immediately Legolas and Ithilwen started shooting their arrows to the enemies and Gimli blows the one hit after the other with his axe.

"Where is Merry and Pippin?" asked Ithilwen, while she was aiming at an orc. The image she had at Galadriel's mirror made her feel unrest concerning the two hobbits fate.

"They must be with Boromir",replied quickly Gimli, while chopping an orc's head.

Suddenly they hear the deep sound of Boromir's ox-horn.

"The Horn of Gondor", said Legolas.

"Boromir", uttered Aragorn and started running down the hill towards the source of the sound. Ithilwen, Legolas and Gimli quickly followed. The Uruk Hai were swarming from around the forest and they were delaying them. Aragorn kept running and Ithilwen was backing him so the enemy wouldn't attack him while he was trying to reach Boromir. Indistinctive battle cries were heard. Legolas shot another Uruk Hai in the head and Ithilwen pierced another's chest with her dagger. The remaining Uruk Hai started fending off.

"They seem to go away" noticed Gimli with his axe hanging from his hand. They run down the hill.

The troop had indeed left and the hobbits were nowhere to be seen. Boromir was lying under a tree, in Aragorn's hands, heavily wounded by the arrows that had hit him. Aragorn kissed Boromir's forehead, stood up and looked at his companions with tears in his eyes.

"They will look for his coming from the White Tower. But he will not return" Aragorn said.

"We should honour him properly" said Ithilwen and approached Boromir's body, while tears were running down her cheeks. She pulled away the arrows and cleared his face from the dirt and blood of the battle. Gimli and Legolas approached and helped Aragorn to carry Boromir's body to the bank of the lake and place it inside one of their boats. They laid in his hands his sword, next to him his horn and above his head his shield. Ithilwen sang a lament for their lost companion as they pushed the boat to the lake. Ithilwen stood still, following with her eyes the boat, which carried Boromir at his last trip. Another death. Frodo and Sam had gone. Merry and Pippin were captive. She felt like hope was abandoning her. ' _You should not despair. For if you stop believing, the others will give up hope too. Shield your heart with courage and never stop hoping that in the future will dawn days full of life, not death.'_ The words of the Galadriel came to her mind. 'Indeed', she thought. They was no time for desperation.

The boat disappeared from their eyes, falling from the Rauros Falls. Legolas started preparing the third boat and shoved it into the water. Aragorn stood still and nodded towards the eastern shore. They could see the figures of Frodo and Sam entering the forest. Legolas understood.

"We have failed then!" exclaimed Gimli. "Everything this Fellowship was meant for went in vain."

"No" Ithilwen. "This Fellowship hasn't failed yet." She picked her bow from the ground. "Come, we do not have much time. We have to save Merry and Pippin. We should not leave them at the hands of the Uruk Hai and Saruman."

Aragorn grinned and picked up his dagger from the ground. "We travel light" he said. "Let's hunt some Orc".


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: Thank you very much for the follows, the faves and the review! I hope you like this chapter as well! Have fun!

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It sounded much easier than it actually was. Three days and three nights, without a stop on the road. On the third day they found one of the brooches Galadriel gave them as a gift along with the cloaks. The hearts of the four companions were filled with hope.

"Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall", noted Aragorn, as he picked up the brooch.

The pace of the group of the Orcs and Uruk Hai had quickened, when they reached Rohan. A kingdom that seemed friendly at the first sight, but a danger was growing, that gave greater strength to their enemies. Ithilwen was haunted by the image she had seen at Galadriel's mirror. She had heard many stories about this mirror, and that many times what was depicted there was not true. However, she should have spoken about this foresight at least with Aragorn, especially since she had sensed a danger approaching when they sailed across Anduin. She focused on their pursuit, and she hoped that she would meet again the little hobbits. They were heading towards Isengard, when on the fourth day, until a red sunrise dawned.

"Blood must have been spilt the night before" said Legolas terrified.

Ithilwen took a breath. Deep inside her she hoped that it wouldn't have been hobbits' blood, otherwise she would blame her for the rest of her days, for not informing the rest of the Fellowship earlier.

Horses were heard approaching and the four companions hid behind a rock. A group of Rohan horsemen appeared. When they saw them, they stepped out.

"Riders of Rohan! What news from the mark?" yelled Aragorn.

The horsemen encircled them.

"What business does a man, two elves, and a dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!" asked the horse-master.

"Give me your name, horse-master, and I shall give you mine", replied Gimli and looked arrogantly at the horse lord.

"I would cut off your head, dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground", said the horse-master in the same tone.

Legolas and Ithilwen immediately drew their arrows and aimed towards the horse-master. The riders at once pointed their spears at the four companions.  
"You would die before your stroke fell" said Legolas.  
Ithilwen fixed her eyes to her target. His throat would be the perfect point to hit him. A quick, yet gory, death. Of course she would be pierced by a dozen spears second later, but during these seconds this outcome did not matter to her. If only he did not wear this heavy armour and this helmet. Her job would be much easier and less bloody. This helmet. Her trail of thoughts stopped as she looked more carefully at this helmet with the white horsetail as a crest. _'The rider?'_ she thought. She scowled and lowered a little the aim of her arrow. Aragorn came forward and with his hand signaled to his friends to bring down their bows.  
"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Gloin, Legolas of the Woodland Realm and Ithilwen of Lorien. We are friends of Rohan, and Theoden your king."

"Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe", said the horse-master and removed his helmet. The rest of the horsemen raised their spears when they saw that their lord was no longer in danger. "Not even his own kin. Saruman has poisoned the mind of the King and claimed lordship over his lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan, and for that we are banished. The white wizard is cunning. He walks here and there they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked, and everywhere his spies slip past our nets."

"We are no spies. We track a party of Uruk-Hai westward across the plain. They have taken two of our friends captive. They would be small, only children to your eyes", said Aragorn.

"We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them", said Éomer. "I am sorry", he added when he saw the saddened look at the faces of the four companions. "Hasufel, Arod, Brego", whistled Éomer three riderless horses. "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Look for your friends, but do not trust to hope. It is forsaken in these lands. Farewell." The Rohirrim left.

"You look surprised for some reason" said Aragorn to Ithilwen. Her face indeed looked surprised and her eyes were following the horsemen, who rode north.  
"It is nothing" said Ithilwen indifferently. Although she did not see the exact image from the vision she had at the mirror seemed, she was now sure that this horse-master indeed existed, and that her vision would maybe come true. "I need to talk to you as soon as possible", she added and looked at Aragorn worried. "Galadriel had asked me to look into her mirror and I had several visions, and I wish to discuss them with you".

Aragorn put his hand on her shoulder. "We shall discuss whatever troubles you my dear friend", he said. "But first let us see if indeed hope has forsaken these lands."

Aragorn, Ithilwen, Legolas and Gimli mounted the horses and rode to the pile of the carcasses. They started looking among the corpses hoping that their friends would not be among the dead. Gimli picked one belt that belonged to one of the hobbits and showed it to the rest. Aragorn kicked one Uruk Hai helmets and left a cry of despair. Ithilwen's eyes were filled with tears. They had failed. She had failed them. If only she had told what she saw in the mirror earlier.

Aragorn stared at the ground. His fingertips touched the dirt. "One hobbit laid here, and another one there" His eyes continued looking for the hobbits' tracks. They followed him. The tracks indicated that hobbits had fended off the battle scene. 'They are alive' thought Ithilwen and her face immediately lightened.

'Their tracks lead to the Fangorn Forest", said Aragorn.

"What madness drove them in there" asked Gimli, and they entered the forest.


	6. Chapter 6

The four were walking in the Fangorn Forest. The forest was very old, and they could feel the memories it carried and its anger in the atmosphere. But it was not only the anger and the memory that filled the forest, that they could feel. Something wicked was wandering too among the trees.

"Something is out there" said Legolas in elvish and looked both at Aragorn and Ithilwen.

"What do you see?", asked Aragorn.

"The White Wizard is approaching", said Ithilwen.

"Do not let him speak, he will put a spell on us", said Aragorn as he drew his sword. "We must be quick."

They prepared to attack. Suddenly a white light blinded them. Legolas and Ithilwen shot their arrows towards the light, but the arrows broke. Gimli's axe was knocked and Aragorn's sword heated at a point Aragorn could not hold it anymore.

"You are tracking the footsteps of two young Hobbits", said the Wizard as he slowly emerged from the light. "They passed this way, day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?"

"Who are you? Show yourself!" yelled Aragorn.

The light around the Wizard dimmed and they could see him clearly. They believed that their eyes were deceiving them.

"Gandalf?" asked Ithilwen in disbelief. "Excuse our behavior, we mistook you for Saruman."

"Yes, Gandalf. That was what they used to call me. I am Gandalf the White. I battled the Balrog of Morgoth. Darkness took me and I strayed out of thought and time. But I have come back, now in the turn of the tide."

"The hobbits?" asked Ithilwen.

"Merry and Pippin are quite safe, much safer than you are going to be", he answered to her. Ithilwen could not fathom her happiness. Merry and Pippin were alive and safe. She was relieved. And Gandalf was back with them. His presence made her feel more certain about their task and the perils they would face in the future.

"We must ride to Edoras", stated Gandalf as the five of them were walking in the forest. "War has come to Rohan". They emerged from the forest. Gandalf whistled and a stunning, white horse appeared.

"That is one of the mearas unless my eyes are cheated by some spell" said Legolas, looking in wonder at the approaching meara.

"Shadowfax. He's the lord of all horses and has been my friend through many dangers" said Gandalf and mounted the horse. Aragorn, Ithilwen, Gimli and Legolas mounted their horses too.

"We must ride now" said Gandalf and looked at the rest of his companions. "Sauron and Saruman have made their plans and they will begin with Rohan."

"We have heard of the troubles of Rohan and its king", said Aragorn.

"Indeed, and this will not be an easy task" noted Gandalf. "The time is running out."

They rode at full speed through the plains of Rohan. At night they made a stop, so the horses could rest. After many days of chasing the group of Orcs and Uruk Hai, they would have a chance to rest too. They made a fire and ate some lembas bread. Soon Gimli fell asleep and Legolas and Gandalf went for a walk. Ithilwen was pensive, her eyes fixed at the flames, which were slowly burning out. Aragorn sat next to her.

"This reminds me of when we were in the North" he said and prepared his pipe to smoke. Ithilwen smiled. She held dear to her heart all the years she was a ranger with Aragorn and the rest of the Rangers of the North. "When we used to rest after the fight among good friends", he continued.

"Knowing that the following day we would be on the road again, hunting Orcs", she added. "And now, we are resting again by the fire, next to our dear friends and companions, after a long pursuit, some marvelous news and preparing for the War." She sighed and she stirred the fire with a twig. "But we will get through this."

Aragorn lit his pipe. "You wanted to tell me something in the morning. After the Rohirrim left".

"When we were at Lothlorien, Galadriel asked me to look into her mirror. I have heard many stories about what this mirror shows, or doesn't show, and its confusing visions. The images I saw were not coherent, and at first I did not pay much attention to it, mainly because of all these rumors I had heard. I had it at the back of my head. But when the hobbits were taken by the Uruk Hai, I was alerted, and I realized that I should have discussed it earlier. I saw the Uruk Hai carrying Merry and Pippin. An enormous explosion. I saw a horse lord bringing down two oliphants. I saw orcs outside the Black Gate of Mordor heading towards me. A white tower and a blooming tree and a lady in black in a field full of white flowers. What I saw about Merry and Pippin came true, and the horse lord we met, had the same helmet as the one in my vision."

Aragorn smoked silently, thinking carefully of Ithilwen's visions. "What does your instinct tell you?"

"To keep it at the back of my head, and be more alert in the future", she replied. Aragorn nodded.

"I agree. So, this is why you were startled in the morning?"

"Yes", she answered and she sighed again.

"I am very glad you shared your visions with me", he told her and patted her on the shoulder. "Whatever happens in the future we will face it together".

She smiled and went to rest. In a few hours it would dawn and they would ride again to Edoras. She closed her eyes and the image of the horse lord came into her mind. A curious sentiment suddenly filled her heart, and she wished that this horse lord would make it through the War.


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's note: Thank you very much for reading. Please review :)_

* * *

By midday they had arrived at Edoras. They stopped and looked at the hill where the town was.

"Edoras, and the Golden Hall of Meduseld. There dwells Théoden, King of Rohan, whose mind is over thrown. Saruman's hold over King Théoden is now very strong."

It felt that what Eomer had told them was right. A flag was ripped and blown by the air, landed next to their horses. They entered the gate. The townspeople were silently watching them as they rode towards the Golden Hall of Meduseld. It seemed like the hope had indeed abandoned this place.

"You would find more cheer in a graveyard" said Gimli as he looked around. The climbed the stairs. The guards stared at their arms suspiciously.

"We cannot allow you to stand before Theoden King so heavily armored" they stated. They frowned. Ithilwen gave reluctantly her bow and quiver, her sword and her dagger, and looked at the rest who did the same half-hearted. The guards pointed at Gandalf's staff.

"You would not part an old man from his walking stick" said Gandalf. The guard nodded and allowed the five to enter.

The Hall was half-lit. In the past it must have full of life, but now it was a miniature of what they had previously seen at the town. Guards were standing across the Hall, and at the end was sitting King Theoden, or at least what was left of him. Next to him was sitting Grima Wormtongue who was whispering at the King. Ithilwen felt uneasy and was looking with the corner of her eye at the guards. She could sense the shadow that was hanging over the Hall and its people.

"The courtesy of your hall has somewhat lessened of late Théoden King" said Gandalf.

"Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow?" asked King Theoden and looked at Grima for his reassurance.

"A just question my liege. Late is the hour in which this conjuror chooses to appear. Lots spell I name him, ill news is an ill guest", said Grima. "Be silent", adressed Gandalf to Grima.

"Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crude words with a witless worm." Gandalf pointed to him his staff. Grima stepped back and told the guards that they should have taken the Wizard's staff. The guards tried to stop Gandalf, who was now getting closer to King Theoden, but Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Ithilwen fought them off. Gandalf started speaking to the King trying to release him from the spell he was under.

At this moment a young, beautiful woman entered the Hall and tried to approach the King, but Aragorn stopped her. Ithilwen looked at her. She noticed a fire in this lady that could not be unseen. Theoden screamed and Gandalf hit him with his staff. Theoden fell from his chair and the young woman went close to him and helped him to sit back again. Theoden's face and stature began changing. He looked younger and healthier and looked confused around him, until he saw the woman next to him.

"I know your face. Éowyn" said Theoden and looked dearly at her. He, then, turned his face and looked at them. "Gandalf?" he asked as he saw the White Wizard's face.

"Breathe the free air again my friend", said Gandalf with a smile on his face. They gave Theoden his sword, to remember his power. He took his sword and felt life coming back to his veins. He turned to Grima, who cowardly tried to leave. He was thrown out of the Hall and left from Edoras. The Rohirrim bowed to their King. Theoden looked around, searching for someone.

"Where is Theodred?" he asked. "Where is my son?" 

* * *

The Rohirrim were carrying Theodred's body to his last residence. The women of Rohan were singing heartfelt laments.

Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas and Ithilwen were standing behind looking at the procession.

"And more death is yet to come to these people" said Gimli gloomy.

"They are strong" said calmly Aragorn. "They will fight against the shadow of Mordor."

"Otherwise, death will meet us all" added Ithilwen.

The tomb was shut and the people scattered. Only Theodred was left standing outside the tomb holding a white flower. Gandalf went close to him and consoled the weeping king. Ithilwen was feeling a heavy burden in her heart. She thought of her parents who buried too their son, and their unbearable sorrow led them to the West. She had only woken up when Lord Elrond announced to her that her parents had sailed to the Lands of the Undying. This was the cruel nature of war. Parents burying their children.

Her trail of thoughts was interrupted by the galloping of a horse. She turned her head and saw two children on horse. They looked worn out, and the boy fell off the horse. Immediately They run to them. Aragorn took the boy into his arms and Legolas helped the little girl get off the horse and carried her to the Hall of the Meduseld. Immediately everyone took care of the children, who informed that their village was burnt.

"This is but a taste of the terror Saruman will unleash" said Gandalf to Theoden. "Ride out and meet him head on. You must protect the women and children."

"Éomer is still loyal to you" added Aragorn. "He is riding north with two thousand good men as we speak. He will answer to your call." Ithilwen was sitting next to the children. She thought of Éomer and the mumakils, but her thought was quickly swept away by Theoden's response.

"Éomer cannot help us. I know what it is you want of me, but I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war."

"Open war is upon you", said Aragorn "whether you would risk it or not."

"When I last looked, Théoden, not Aragorn, was King of Rohan" replied Theoden.

"Then what is the King's decision?" asked Gandalf.

They would head to Helm's Deep. 

* * *

"This is madness", said Legolas to Ithilwen in elvish, as they were helping at the preparation of the long route to Helm's Deep. Ithilwen nodded.

"An open battle could be handled much better, and with Éomer's help there could be chances of winning. There we could be trapped" she said in elvish. She was packing a chest. "But, Theoden is doing what he thinks best of his people." She lifted her head and saw everyone moving around in hurry, trying to pack their most important belongings. She noticed Lady Éowyn sheathing a sword. "At least I understand that they would do everything they could to protect their lands." She continued in elvish. Legolas turned his head to Éowyn and nodded.

"What are you doing both here?" Gimli's voice was heard. They turned to him. Ithilwen smiled and pointed at the chest. "Now lassie this should be carried! Come!" he turned towards Legolas, "let's take it outside along with the other trunks". Ithilwen followed them with her eyes and proceeded helping an old lady to put her grandchildren's clothes in a bag. She learnt that their mother had died long ago, and their father was killed during a fight against Orcs. The old lady seemed to feel comforted while talking to her. Ithilwen was happy to help. She felt that solidarity was one of the only things left in this world, and one of the few that could lead to the final victory.

She lifted her gaze and noticed that Aragorn had come back to the Hall and he was talking to Éowyn. Aragorn was checked her sword and gave it back to her.

"She is a very strong Lady", said the old woman, who noticed that Ithilwen was looking at them. "Both she and Éomer have been tested through life. They are very kind souls. And King Theoden loves them as if they were his children." Ithilwen smiled at her and closed the bag and handed it to her.

"You are ready my sweet lady", said Ithilwen.

"Bless you my child", she replied and left. Ithilwen was left standing and looked around to help someone. Aragorn went next to her.

"Gandalf has gone" he said to her. Ithilwen looked at him confused. "He told me to look to the east, at the dawn of the fifth day."

"Sometimes I think that he loves to puzzle us" she said and they shared a laugh. "I hope that everything will turn out well."

"I share the same hope" he said and shrugged. "Come, we must leave."

They both left the Hall. King Theoden and Gamling were still there. "We will return", said Theoden and they left too.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's note: Thank you very much for faves/follows and the review.

Please review! :)

Have fun!

* * *

Ithilwen was in shock. She was holding tightly in her grip Arwen's pendant. 'It couldn't be possible', she kept thinking. 'There was no body down there. Aragorn must still be alive'. Legolas and Gimli were riding beside her and hadn't uttered a word after Aragorn's fall. 'The Orc could be lying. Besides, they were never trustworthy, why should they be now?'

The attack by the Orcs while they were on their way to Helm's Deep, had deprived them of many men. 'This is war' she thought. 'I must get used to it. Many lives will be lost in the days to come. But Aragorn can't be dead. He is not dead', she kept repeating in her mind. Her determination was preventing her from her total collapse. She couldn't afford to lose Aragorn too. His friendship gave her unfathomable strength through her darkest times. She thought of him as brother, and he thought of her as the sister he never had. 'He is alive and well and he will join us soon' she thought again.

The mighty, impenetrable walls of Helm's Deep appeared in front of them. They galloped faster and entered the fortress. Everywhere were people of Rohan, gathered from Edoras and nearby towns and villages. They were weary from the long road and the hardships the war had caused them.

Éowyn greeted them and anxiously she was looking among those who returned.

"We have lost many men", said Théoden. Éowyn's eyes met Ithilwen's frozen look. Ithilwen understood of whom Éowyn was waiting for so eagerly. She could see it after all throughout their route to Helm's Deep. But she didn't have an answer for the Lady of Rohan, neither for herself, nor for her cordial friend Arwen. Her grip tightened around Arwen's pendant. Her love would guide him to them. Gimli approached Éowyn and announced to her Aragorn's fall.

But Saruman's forces would not wait for them any further. They started immediately to prepare for the defence of Helm's Deep. King Théoden gave orders for women and children to go to the caves and men to stand behind the walls.

Ithilwen and Legolas were preoccupied at the Main Hall with the defences. They were exchanging gazes that were betraying the sadness that had dwelled in their hearts. But they did not fathom a word, because they both hoped that their friend would return. After a long silence, they suddenly heard a rumour that Aragorn was back. They immediately headed to the door, where they met with their friend. Ithilwen's eyes immediately shone and her face brightened from her wide smile.

"You are late. You look terrible" said Legolas and they all laughed.

Ithilwen opened her grip and Arwen's Evenstar appeared shinning dimly. Aragorn took it carefully, smiled and thanked her in elvish. Ithilwen's expression suddenly changed, when she noticed his wounded arm.

"It's nothing" Aragorn said after he noticed her worried gaze.

"Let me look around for some athelas. You cannot fight like this. We need you now" she said as she examined his wound.

"Sincerely, I am fine nésanya". Ithilwen gave him a suspicious look and made way for him to enter to the Main Hall. Before entering too, she noticed Éowyn's excited expression, as she turned and looked at her. She was smiling widely, as she was helping the people around her. Ithilwen had never been in love throughout the years of her existence. But she had heard many things about this weird feeling that could change completely a man. And she could recognize in Éowyn's eyes this spark in her eyes when she was looking at Aragorn. Ithilwen sighed and headed to the Main Hall. Éowyn seemed a very kind and brave Lady, who she would love to know better, but her heart would be eventually broken.

Aragorn was talking to Théoden. He described the army that was coming upon them. Théoden was gloomy and immediately ordered to go outside and supervise the defence of the fortress.

The situation looked disparaging. How could so few men stand against the wrath of Saruman? How could they fight an army so potent? How could they defend their land against an army that was bred with a sole purpose, to destroy the world of men?

"You should call for aid" told Aragorn to Théoden.

"And who will come?" asked angrily as he turned to Aragorn. "Elves? Dwarves?" he said and nodded at Legolas, Ithilwen and Gimli. "We are not as lucky in our friends as you are".

"Gondor will answer" said Aragorn with certainty in his voice.

"Gondor?" asked angrily Théoden. "Where was Gondor..?" he started saying and immediately stopped. "We are alone. And we will defend this land alone."

Ithilwen looked outside the walls. The gorge looked so serene. No one could predict that there would take place a battle, which would decide the fate of men. And they were indeed alone. Maybe the rumours concerning the mirror of Galadriel were right. Maybe the images she saw were of a future that would never happen, because no one would be there to live it. Not even Éomer. She sighed and followed the rest.

The preparation for the battle was happening at a frenzy pace. Women and children had gathered in the caves and men were at the armoury, taking swords and wearing their armours. Ithilwen, Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn were handing to men weapons and armours. Ithilwen was looking at their faces. They looked so desperate and unprepared for such a battle, but she knew that they would give everything for their land. Their eyes were piercing hers. She was trying to encourage them, and some were indeed looking at her with hope.

"Farmers, farriers, stable boys", said Aragorn breaking the silence between them. "These are no soldiers."

"Some of them have seen too many winters", noticed Gimli after he handed a sword to an old man.

"Or too few" added Legolas, after he saw Ithilwen giving a sword to a teenager. Ithilwen starred at them angrily. The time was not right to say loudly such observations. These people now needed hope, not to be reminded of their state.

"Be careful" she said in elvish. "They are afraid, and all they need now is courage and hope." "And they are right to be afraid" continued Legolas in elvish. "They are three hundred against an army of ten thousand."

"But they feel safer here rather than Edoras" noticed Aragorn in elvish. Ithilwen looked around her. The men around them had started staring at them, guessing from their expressions the subject of their discussion.

"Aragorn, they cannot win this fight" said Legolas.

"Legolas, Aragorn, please" she whispered.

"They are all going to die!" continued Legolas.

"Then I should die as one of them" exclaimed Aragorn in the common tongue. Silence fell between them and Aragorn excited the armoury. Ithilwen tried to follow him, but Gimli stopped her.

"Let him go, lassie", he said to her. "Let's continue our job here and then prepare ourselves too". Ithilwen nodded at him and continued handing swords and spears to old men and young boys and then she followed Legolas and Gimli to their preparations for the battle.

She wore leather pauldrons and a leather breastplate she found. She checked her arrows and her bow, and she sharpened her sword and dagger. Aragorn entered the room, having worn a chainmail under his vest.

"Your armour doesn't look strong enough" he said to her and she turned to him. She looked at her pauldrons.

"It will hold" she said and smiled. "We will hold" she added, and he smiled back to her.

Legolas entered the room too. "We have trusted you this far. You have not led us astray. Forgive me. I was wrong to despair", said Legolas.

Aragorn put his hand on Legolas' shoulder. "There is nothing to forgive Legolas".

Gimli walked in the room too, trying to fit in a chainmail that apparently wasn't his size. "It's a little tight across the chest", he stated as he saw the rest of his friends trying not to laugh.

Ithilwen smiled. They had been through so many hardships, and they were still together, united as a grip. They would fight side by side and they would make it, as they always did.

Suddenly a horn was heard, that sounded quite familiar to her ears.

"That is no Orc horn", said Legolas.

"It's Lorien's horn" exclaimed Ithilwen. "They have come!" she turned and met the surprised and excited faces of her friends.

They quickly run outside to greet the elves that had arrived. Ithilwen's heart was racing. She could not believe that in this dire hour she would hear again her homeland's horn, that help would arrive from Lorien.

They got outside and saw Haldir. Ithilwen immediately hugged him and Aragorn followed her. The people around them were surprised because they knew that t was not familiar for elves to express their feelings so openly.

"We would not leave you alone" said Haldir and smiled at both of them.

Ithilwen searched among the elves and saw many familiar faces, which she greeted them with a wide and sincere smile.

The time had come. They stood behind the walls waiting for Saruman's hordes.


	9. Chapter 9

_A.N.: Have fun and please review :)_

* * *

Ithilwen stood next to Aragorn. She could feel the eyes of the people around her piercing her with curiosity and awe. They had never seen a woman fighting next to them. An elven maiden, who preferred to sacrifice her life defending their lands, rather than sailing West along with the rest of her folk.

A clap of thunder broke the silence. The heavy footsteps and the war cries of the Uruk Hai were heard. They could see their torches approaching and their roars became clearer. Heavy rain started falling. Ithilwen's heart started beating faster and her ears started buzzing. She had felt the same sentiment before, the first time she fought at Lorien's guard. The Uruk Hai where closer and they could clearly see them now, despite the heavy rainfall. Their leader, stood on a rock and yelled. The army halted.

They prepared their bows and arrows.

"Hold" shouted Aragorn in elvish. An old man, knocked his arrow, and pierced one of the Uruk Hai. The army started running towards the walls. Ithilwen was ready to shoot. 'Their armors are weak beneath the arm and the neck' she thought as she was aiming at her target.

"Release arrows" shouted Aragorn again and she shoot.

It had begun.

She prepared her second arrow and after the second command she fired again.

The arrows started flying against Saruman's hordes, and many Uruk Hai were brought down. The Uruk Hai were responding to their attacks by firing their arrows from their crossbows. Several elves around them fell from the walls.

"Ladders" yelled Aragorn, and the elves started shooting at the Uruk Hai who were trying to climb the wall. Many Uruk Hai were falling but several managed to reach the top. Aragorn starting pushing them back, and Ithilwen was firing the one arrow after the other. A little farther Gimli was swinging his axe, and Legolas was shooting arrows towards the Uruk Hai who had climbed. Between them ran a little contest on how many Uruk Hai they had killed. Aragorn kicked a ladder and fell among their enemies, killing some of them. The rain had stopped, helping the archers finding better their aim. The battle seemed to turn unexpectedly well. All the waves of enemy's attacks were being pushed back, and the elven and men forces hadn't suffered many losses. The elves were still sending volleys of arrows outside the wall, while the people of Rohan were killing the Uruk Hai who had reached the top of the walls.

Suddenly, Uruk Hai were marching the causeway, heading to the gate. Elves started shooting their arrows towards them, but they were shielded, and thus the elves did not manage to cause them many losses. Somewhere in the middle of the wall, almost at the same time, Uruks started chanting, trying to encourage someone apparently. Aragorn looked down and saw and Uruk Hai running with a torch towards the wall. They had found the only weakness of this impenetrable wall. A drain, no larger than a man, could become their biggest disadvantage.

"Legolas! Ithilwen! Bring him down! Bring him down!" he shouted. Both the elves immediately turned. And started shooting the arrows battling against the time. One arrow pierced his neck, another his shoulder, but despite the hits the Uruk Hai suffered, he ran the last meters and fell into the hole of the drain.

The wall exploded. Ithilwen was thrown several meters away. She hit the ground and several stones and bodies fell around her. Her ears were buzzing. She tried to open her eyes, but she could see nothing but dust. Everything around her was wet from the rain, and the dust was turning to mud. She stood up, trying to orientate herself after the fall. She felt the mud and blood running down her face. She immediately touched her head. She was hurt, but it was nothing but a scratch. She was immediately turned back into reality from an Uruk Hai that was running towards her. She instantly drew her sword, and with a dance like move she avoided him and cut his head. She looked around and noticed Gimli and Aragorn fighting some meters away from her. She made her way to them, while killing two Uruks, with an elven grace, which was contradicting with the brutality of the battle. They were fighting together, and soon Legolas joined them too. But the Uruks were outrunning them and soon Théoden called them to go back to the Keep, where they were facing too severe problems, as the enemy was trying to breach the gate.

"To the Keep! To the Keep!" shouted Aragorn. Gimli was still fighting, and Ithilwen and Legolas hauled him away. They entered the Keep. The elves there were still firing arrows against the Uruk Hai. Ithilwen and Legolas prepared their bows and immediately joined the rest of their folk. The Uruks from the causeway were shooting their crossbows and many of their fellows were killed. Soon after Aragorn joined them too. He looked gloomy, something that was straightaway noticed by Ithilwen.

"What has happened?", she asked. Aragorn looked into her eyes and sighed.

"Haldir" he said. Ithilwen stepped behind, startled from the news Aragorn had just announced her. Aragorn held her hand, trying to show her his sympathy. "He fought bravely and he fell like a hero. But this is no time to grieve. We will pay our respects after the battle. But now we have to survive this madness." He left from her side and strode towards Théoden.

Ithilwen turned again towards the battlefield. Haldir would be commemorated by the future generations, only if they fought and survived. She took an arrow from her quiver, looking pensively towards the enemy's army flocking outside the gate. While she was preparing to knock her arrow, she was hit by one of the enemy's arrows on her left shoulder. She left a small cry and lost her balance. Despite the pain she fired her arrow and killed an Uruk Hai. She then took the arrow out of her shoulder. The leather pauldrons hadn't protected her enough, but at least they saved her from a deeper wound. Blood stained her pauldron. She didn't have time for this now.

Legolas signaled at her. He had thrown a rope at the causeway in order to pull up Aragorn and Gimli who had gone outside the gate. Ithilwen run towards him and started dragging too the rope. She grimaced from the pain but she did not stop her effort. Legolas noticed her pain and looked at the gap from the arrow at her left pauldron.

"You are wounded" he said worried. "Go back and take care of yourself. You cannot fight".

"I am fine", she answered to him and continued pulling up the rope. New ladders were pulled up by the enemy and their friends were climbing between them. After several efforts Aragorn and Gimli reached the top, and rejoined Legolas and Ithilwen.

"Pull everybody back. Pull them back" shouted Théoden. He was wounded too and retreated inside the Keep. The gate was breached, and the elves and men started going inside the Keep. Aragorn, Gimli, Ithilwen and Legolas entered the Keep too and they joined the effort to strengthen the inside door.

Ithilwen tried to help some men carry a big piece of wood to brace the gate, but her wound was hindering her moves.

Aragorn was anxious about the women and children who were hiding in the caves. Gamling suggested a passage that would lead to the mountains.

"So much death. What can Men do against such reckless hate?" asked Théoden, with despair in his eyes. He had seen his men being killed, and now he knew that the women and children would be slaughtered by Saruman's army. Aragorn stood in front of Théoden. Many thoughts were crossing his mind.

"Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them" he said to the King.

"For death and glory" added Theoden.

"For Rohan. For your people", told Aragorn.

"The sun is rising", noticed Gimli. Aragorn looked at the window. Outside was dawning and the sunbeams made their way into the hall. He remembered what Gandalf had told him and his spirit was filled with hope.

"Yes. Yes" said Theoden. "The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the Deep on last time."

They brought their horses and rode them. Legolas drove his horse next to Ithilwen's who was at the right side of the group, so she could hit the enemy with her right hand.

"You should stay behind" he whispered to her.

"I am fine" she whispered back to him.

The deep sound of the horn was heard through the gorge. At the same moment the gates opened.

"Forth Eorlingas!" yelled Théoden and they rode outside. They were getting down the causeway, killing many enemies at their path. The flag of Rohan was waving. The sun was rising. Aragorn turned towards the sun and saw Shadowfax on its hind legs.

"Gandalf", he whispered.

Soon everyone turned and saw Gandalf accompanied by another rider.

"Éomer" whispered Ithilwen. Her face brightened and for some moments she forgot her pain.

King Theoden smiled, knowing that his nephew was still loyal to him, despite his wrong accusations. There was still hope. It seemed that the battle had paused for some minutes, just so everyone could look at the grandiosity of the Rohirrim.

They starting riding down the gorge towards the Uruk Hai. Their war screams were echoing in the valley. The thirst for battle and victory was renewed. The riders surrounding king Théoden started chasing the Uruk Hai and they were soon united with Gandalf and Éomer. Gandalf smiled to his friends. This smile gave them more courage and after some hours the Uruk Hai were chased to the Fangorn Forest, were they met the Ents' wrath.


	10. Chapter 10

The end of the battle was marked with great celebrations on the field. The soldiers were hugging the women and children who had come out of the caves, and they all had tears in their eyes. King Theoden embraced his nephew, as if he was his son, and asked for his forgiveness.

"There is nothing to forgive", replied Eomer and smiled to his uncle. "Look for wounded", he shouted to the Rohirrim and they started searching among the dead. They found several wounded, who were put on the carriages that would go back to Edoras, along with the women and children. Ithilwen stood aside from them, behind a fallen stone, and quickly cleaned her wound with some water and tied it with a bandage.

Gandalf suggested to Theoden to go to Isengard, a proposal that Theoden gladly accepted. They started preparing their horses. Ithilwen, while fastening the saddle on her horse using manily her right hand, noticed Legolas talking to Aragorn and both of them staring at her. Aragorn had a serious look in his eyes and after their discussion, he strode towards her.

"You are wounded" he exclaimed.

"It is just a scratch" said Ithilwen indifferently, hoping that he would stop worrying about her wound. Aragorn looked at her in disbelief and tore down her sleeve, revealing her wound on her left shoulder.

"Is this nothing?" he asked her furiously. "You should have gone to Edoras along with the other wounded."

"It is ok. I can join you" she said, as she took a look as well at her wound. It sure needed to be tended soon, but she didn't want to miss the chance to join the to Isengard.

"You will not come with us! You will go back to Edoras and heal your wound" he said persistently. "I need you to be healthy my sister. For the war has not ended yet, and your presence is really valuable" he whispered to her. "So hurry now and go to Edoras" he said to her loudly.

"I will accompany her" said from behind Éomer, who had noticed their conversation, and went closer to them with his horse.

"I don't think this is necessary" said Ithilwen while getting on her horse, but she received a dark look from Aragorn for her reaction.

"Thank you, Lord Éomer. Your offer is very kind and welcome" said Aragorn and smiled to Ithilwen. "We will meet again soon. Farewell!" he said and patted on Ithilwen's horse to start. Ithilwen looked back and Aragorn had this cunning look of success painted on his face. Ithilwen smirked. He would certainly be a good king.

"If you feel pain and you cannot ride, please tell me, my Lady" said Éomer breaking the two hours long silence between them.

"Thank you, Lord Éomer. But I assure you that this is a mere scratch. If you have Athélas, it will be healed in two days' time."

"Athélas?" he asked.

"Kingsfoil in the common tongue"

"We use this to feed the pigs, not to heal wounds."

"Today you will see that all these years you have been underestimating this miraculous, small plant."

The sun had set down, and in the atmosphere was spread a sense of sweetness and serenity. Éomer and Ithilwen stopped at a grove. They dismounted from their horses, and they tied them to a tree nearby. Éomer went to look for athélas. They would arrive to Edoras by the next morning, but they should not wait further. Ithilwen sat on the ground and she removed her cloak and her tunic, remaining only with her undershirt. She removed the bandage, with which she had quickly tied her arm after the battle. Éomer came back with several athélas leaves.

"Let me help you, my Lady" he said and sat close to her.

"Thank you Lord Eomer but I can manage all by myself" said Ithilwen, opened her flask and poured some clear water on the wound. She took out from her pouch a needle and a thread to sew her wound. After doing the first two stitches she raised her head and looked at Eomer. He was looking away, and his face had an annoyed look. She understood her mistake.

"I am sorry my Lord. I did not mean to be disrespectful. I am just not used to others taking care of me." She gave him a shy smile and gave him the needle with the thread. He smiled back to her and continued the sewing of her wound. "As ranger and as an elven warrior in the past, I was trying to mend my wounds on my own, and only when I was severely wounded I was allowing someone else to help me" she said as she was watching his careful and deliquate moves of his hands.

"Have you been a lot of times wounded, my Lady?"

"Please call me Ithilwen. And yes. But my wounds were mostly scratches like this one. Only once I was about visit the Houses of Mandos, but Lord Elrond kept me into life."

"Gandalf told me about your past" said Éomer and Ithilwen grimaced. "When I saw the four of you roaming around Rohan, I wondered why an elven maiden would have joined such a company." Ithilwen looked at him in disbelief. "I have no intention to make you feel uncomfortable", he continued "I just want to point out that you are a very brave woman. And nowadays this is a rare phenomenon." Éomer looked at her eyes. They were big and grey, like two moons who had long lost their light. "Thank you Lord Éomer for your kind words" she said and turned her head away.

"I am done" said Éomer and gave her back her needle. "Now, how will you use kingsfoil?"

Ithilwen took some leaves and rubbed them between her fingers. Then she carefully put them on her wound. "It is your turn now" she said to Éomer. He copied her movements and then started tying a bandage around her arm.

"I had never treated a wounded elf in my life before" he said and laughed.

"There is always a first time for everything" she replied and she gave him a broad smile. Their eyes were fixed to each other's for several seconds. Cool drizzles started falling on their faces. It was not like the rain, which had fallen the previous night. It was soft and it had a sense of the coming spring. Ithilwen turned and looked at the sky. She closed her eyes and let the drizzles fall on her face. She had a childish, pure look on her face. Their eyes met again and for a moment Éomer would swear that he saw a shine inside them. He looked at them mesmerised.

Ithilwen mended her torn sleeve and they ate some lembas bread, which Ithilwen had carried with her and then they fell asleep under a tree. They woke up by the first sunrays of the morning, they mounted their horses and rode to Edoras. Ithilwen was taking glimpses of him, trying not to be noticed. Because of her vision at Galadriel's mirror, she was feeling a strange proximity with him.

They arrived at Edoras by midday. There had already arrived Eomer's Rohirrim along with Gamling and they were waiting for the carriages with the wounded and the women and children. The Rohirrim welcomed their Lord and Ithilwen. Eomer gave orders to treat Ithilwen as an honored guest and take care of her wound.

"We haven't prepared a room for you, since everyone is away. If you want to rest you should go, without second thought, to my room" Eomer told to Ithilwen and she nodded. She didn't need to rest but she considered his move very thoughtful. He left for the stables and stayed there with the rest of the Rohirrim.

Soon arrived the carriages and Eowyn. Upon her arrival, Eowyn started preparing for the feast that would take place that night in honor of the dead. In the hustle and bustle of the preparations she realized that Ithilwen was among the people who helped at the feast's arrangements. She was startled by her appearance and immediately approached her.

"My Lady, I did not expect to see you here!" she exclaimed. "I thought that you would have followed the others at Isengard."

"This was my intention, but because of my wound" she said and pointed with her eyes her left shoulder, "I was not allowed to join them and was ordered to come here. And your brother kindly offered to accompany me."

"My Lady you should rest! Come with me at the kitchen. I will ask someone to prepare something for you to eat before the feast." Ithilwen did not have time to deny Eowyn's offer, because she suddenly grabbed her from her hand and led her downstairs, where the servants had started preparing the food for the night. She asked for a bowl with soup and told to the servants that this was intended for Ithilwen. The servants looked at the elven maiden with awe. They had heard of her participation in the battle, and of the help she had offered generally, and they willingly offered her a bowl of soup and some bread.

Ithilwen sat on a chair and Eowyn sat next to her.

"I am sorry my Lady for this poor meal, but under these circumstances..."

"There is no need to apologise" interrupted Ithilwen. Éowyn fixed her eyes on the floor and left a sigh. Ithilwen realised that she wanted to talk with somebody, and apparently that somebody was her.

"What troubles you my Lady?" asked Ithilwen politely, and then tasted the soup.

"My Lady, how does it feel to be in a battle?" she asked without removing her eyes from the floor. Ithilwen sat back and left the spoon from her hand.

"At first you feel anxiety. The enemy is in front of you, they stare at you. You have not emerged into the battle yet, but it stands right in front of you. But then, after you have killed your first enemy, fear conquers your soul. And that is the moment, which you must not bow, because that very moment you will be killed. Fear is beaten by courage and hope. Courage, because you have to successfully confront someone who wants to kill you. And hope, because you are surrounded by dead men and every second you hear the agonizing scream of a man who is wounded, and you hope that this is the last scream, that you will see no more pf dead bodies, and that all your loved ones will survive this madness." Éowyn looked at her.

"I am sorry, my Lady for bringing back to your memory uninvited memories."

"No, lady Éowyn. You should not worry" replied Ithilwen and had a mouthful of the bread. "I wish I could talk to you about moments of blissfulness, but these are rare during wartime."

"The King!" shouted one of the servants and he interrupted their discussion.

"We should go and greet them", said Ithilwen.

"Thank you my Lady, for your wise advice."

"Oh please, call me Ithilwen, and count me as a friend."

Éowyn smiled and hugged her. Both of them needed a hug, after the hardships they had been through the previous days.


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's note: Thank you everyone for your follows and faves! Please comment :) :)_

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Ithilwen run to the gate of the Hall. She longed so much to reunite with her friends. But what she met there, could only be a part of a joyful dream. Along with Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Gandalf, entered the Hall Merry and Pippin. Ithilwen left a small cry of happiness as the two hobbits ran towards her to greet her. They started reciting their adventures, how they ran away from the Orcs and the Uruk Hai, how they met Treebeard and the other Ents, how they won at the battle of Isengard and the spoils of war they had. Merry immediately gave to her some salted pork to taste. Ithilwen was listening to their stories, relieved that they were safe and sound.

They were led to the room, where they would stay for the nights to come. They would sleep altogether, along with other Rohan soldiers. Several soldiers were taken by surprise by Ithilwen's presence in the room, but since she fought side by side with them, they quickly counted her as one of them. King Théoden soon joined them and announced to them that the preparations for tonight's celebrations were soon to be completed, and that they were welcome to join them in their festivities in the memory of those who died in the battle.

The left their armory and their cloaks in the room. Ithilwen combed and braided her hair. She touched the small velvet with the head jewels Galadriel had gifted her. She was unsure whether to ornate her braids with the flowers of Lorien or not. No, the time to wear them had not yet arrived, she thought.

They entered the Hall. The people of Rohan bowed their heads at the sight of the company. They looked at them as heroes, who had helped them to fight against Saruman's hordes, ready to give their lives in order to protect Rohan. Ithilwen felt awkward at this sight. She wasn't used to such honors.

Éomer approached them and led them to their seats.

"Do you feel better?" he whispered to Ithilwen. He looked into her eyes. His gaze was revealing his worry.

"Yes, yes" she replied and smiled to him. He smiled back to her and went straight next to his uncle. Ithilwen followed him with her eyes, forgetting to go where she was told. Aragorn patted her back. She felt like coming from a dream. Aragorn smirked at her, and she gave him an angry look. She was sure what Aragorn was thinking of, but she was just looking at Éomer, nothing more.

Éowyn approached Théoden handing him a golden cup. Theoden took the cup and raised it.

"Tonight we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country. Hail the victorious dead!" he said.

"Hail" repeated the crowd and they all drank a sip. Ithilwen's feelings were mixed. Many men had died, among them her friend, Haldir, but they were still alive, and they had a glorious victory. A victory that would be remembered for many years.

The bards started playing music and singing songs. The people started dancing and singing. Many of them were drinking ale, while eating cheese, bread, meat and berries. Ithilwen went to celebrate with Gimli and Legolas. Gimli was prepared for a night full of ale and had already drunk a cup or two. Legolas was looking around him awkwardly, not knowing how to behave. Eomer approached them proposing a drinking contest. Gimli started clapping his hands and Legolas accepted, willing to try something new in his life. Eomer turned to Ithilwen and asked her if she would too participate. After all the stories he had heard about her, he would not be surprised if she participated in a drinking contest, and would be its winner. She went by his side.

"No, I won't" she told him. "I already know the result" she whispered in his ear and smirked. Then she gave him her cup to fill it with ale. They exchanged a smile and the drinking game started. Gimli was drinking the one cup after the other, and after each cup he was becoming merrier and merrier. Legolas seemed unaffected by the alcohol that ran in his veins.

"You seem very attached to them", noticed Éomer as Ithilwen was staring at her friends laughing at Gimli's drunk statements.

"I am, indeed", replied Ithilwen and turned her face to him. Her eyes were smiling and her expression brightened her face. For an instant Éomer felt that all the lights in the room suddenly dimmed before her brightness. "I have lived many years, and I have seen many wonders, but the most wondrous thing my eyes have witnessed is the sincere friendship formed between us. We have been through so many hardships, so many crucial moments, that I consider them more like brothers of mine."

"They are really very lucky to have you" said Éomer and had a sip of ale. Ithilwen smiled at him. "I have heard many stories of your brave acts during the battle. Your presence really inspired the people of Rohan."

"It was our duty for the future of Middle Earth. The darkness is spreading day by day and we must not stay still, idly waiting for the end to come."

"Of course, certainly, I agree with you. But I mean mainly, your presence Ithilwen. We are not used to seeing elves fighting next to us, not to mention an elven maiden. "

"Your words are very kind Éomer" said Ithilwen and gave him a shy smile. Éomer looked at her blushing face. He felt a weird shiver down his spine. Ithilwen felt her breath getting faster at these moments, and her knees weaker. It was a sentiment that she had never experienced in her life before. For a moment the people around them disappeared, the hustle and bustle stopped, Gimli and Legolas were not having a drinking game. It was just the two of them.

"Here, here. It's the Dwarves that go swimming with little, hairy women" said Gimli completely drunk and interrupted them. Ithilwen turned her head to her friends, upset by her strange feelings.

"I feel something", said Legolas surprised by the strange numbness he was feeling. "A slight tingle in my fingers. I think it's affecting me."

"What did I say? He can't hold his liquor", pointed out Gimli and fell from his chair.

"Game over" stated Legolas and they all shared a laugh. Ithilwen and Éomer exchanged a timid smile, as Legolas and some other men started carrying Gimli to their room. Ithilwen followed them back to their room. As they were helping Gimli to prepare himself to fall asleep, she was standing behind, thinking of what she had just felt. Her eyes were fixed on the floor and she did not notice Legolas, who had come right in front of her with a cunning look on his face.

"You look different today", he noticed and smirked.

"Me? No. I was just thinking of several things" she replied quickly, feeling somehow guilty, that her anxiety was too obvious.

"Come, let's go back to the feast", he said and they both went back to the Hall. They went by Aragorn and Gandalf.

"What has happened to you?" asked Aragorn astonished, when he saw Ithilwen.

"Maybe it's the atmosphere here in Rohan" said cunningly Legolas. Ithilwen responded to him with a stern look.

"We need to talk", said Gandalf. "We must prepare our next moves. The shadow in Mordor is growing. We may have achieved a victory, but we should not rest in our laurels. The wrath of Sauron will strike soon, and we must prepare ourselves to face it." The Hall was almost empty now and some servants had started cleaning around. "But for now", added Gandalf, "we all need a good night's sleep. Go and take some rest. Tomorrow we will prepare our plan."

Ithilwen went outside to breathe some fresh air. The night was silent and only the calls of the owls were breaking the silence. She opened the small velvet envelope with the hair jewels, that Galadriel had given her. She touched them with her fingertips and sighed. She heard footsteps approaching and she turned her head. It was Aragorn. She smiled and looked back to her jewels.

"They are beautiful" he said as he was preparing his pipe. Ithilwen gave him a hopeless look. "Hope is not lost yet. There will come a day that you will wear them" he said and started to smoke. She sighed and put back the envelope in her pouch. "Tonight you were very beautiful. Like something had changed in you" he said and grinned.

"I- How..? I was the usual me!"

"I haven't seen you like that for more than 30 years" he said. Ithilwen took a step behind. "Do not panic, I think that very few realized your change of behavior, but I do not believe that they understood why this happened. And this is a good thing, you deserve some happiness at last. But remember, the war is not over yet, and I do not want to see you heartbroken for once more." She did not utter a word. This man could read her like an open book. "Now go to sleep, I will go and speak to Legolas".

Ithilwen headed back to their room, when suddenly she felt like she was stricken by a thunder. Like the eye of Sauron was gazing persistently at them. Screams were heard from their room and Ithilwen hurried and strode towards there.


End file.
